North Korea fires ballistic missile over Japan

A Japanese news network shows footage of Kim Jong Un.
(Image credit: Richard A. Brooks/AFP via Getty Images)

North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Tuesday morning that went over Japan, the South Korean military said, causing the Japanese government to warn people in two northern prefectures to take shelter.

The firing of the missile, which appeared to have landed in the Pacific Ocean outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone, is considered a major escalation by North Korea. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the missile flew for 22 minutes, and there are no reports of any damage. An intermediate-range missile has a range of 2,485 miles, meaning it could reach Guam. This is the first missile to fly over Japan in five years.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.